Support the “20s” Bike Improvement Project

For those of you tracking transportation funding through Metro’s MTIP flexible funding allocation, the City of Portland’s Twenties Bike Boulevard project (see below) has been recommended for funding. The last chance for public comment will be a JPACT/Metro Council public hearing at 4 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2009.

Support a bicycle improvement project in your neighborhood.
The Twenties Bikeway project proposes development of a bike boulevard and bike lanes along a corridor in the high 20s blocks of east Portland starting at the north-end on NE 27th Ave and NE Lombard Street. The route jogs to 29th Ave. at Ainsworth and continues south on NE 29th Ave. with short jogs along NE Regents Dr. and NE Edgehill Pl. before reaching NE Knott, where it jogs to NE 28th Ave. The route continues along 28th Ave., across the Banfield (I-84), to SE Madison, where it jogs briefly to 27th Ave. The route jogs east again on SE Stephens to NE 26th Ave. before reaching existing bike lanes south of SE Woodward. The project also fills the southernmost gap south of SE Bybee on SE 27th Ave., Crystal Springs Blvd and SE 44th Ave., where it connects to existing bike lanes on Harney Drive and further south to the Springwater Corridor Trail.

The Twenties Bikeway is a 9.2-mile corridor, of which 2.3 miles currently exist as bicycle lanes. Of the remaining 6.9 miles, 5.5 miles are to be developed with bicycle boulevard treatments and 1.4 miles are to be striped with bicycle lanes. Bicycle lane and travel lane widths will be striped on roadways according to regional and city street design guidelines. The bicycle boulevard segments will incorporate the full spectrum of treatments the city has applied to its existing bicycle boulevards.

The City of Portland has applied for $2.1 million in funding from the Metro Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP). Metro is seeking public comment on the allocation of regional flexible funds. The formal comment period will open at 12 noon on Oct. 13, 2008 and close at noon on Dec. 1, 2008. A basic list of projects and programs will be posted on the Metro web site atwww.oregonmetro. gov/regionalflex iblefund